


In the Dark through a Firefight

by kazbotinwonderland



Category: 00Q - Fandom, James Bond (Craig movies)
Genre: 00Q - Freeform, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-30
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 12:52:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/662207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazbotinwonderland/pseuds/kazbotinwonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mandatory codes update has Q in a seminar and minion #3 in Bond's ear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Dark through a Firefight

**Author's Note:**

> Title and inspiration taken from 'Light Up the Sky' by Yellowcard - "We already know how it ends tonight, you run in the dark through a firefight. And I would explode just to save your life. Let me light up the sky, light it up for you."
> 
> Characters are not mine, just borrowed from Ian Fleming.

Q sat through the mandatory codes update seminar after he has been Quartermaster for nearly two years. He managed to avoid last year’s course by dealing with international cyber-terrorists. No such luck this time around. This may be helpful for some of field agents, he thought, but he was here for an entirely different purpose. He had learnt Morse code as a four year old and used it for passwords to keep his brothers out of his things. One had figured it out quickly enough. Sherlock liked to know everything, including what his little brother kept in secret boxes. It was usually books and other toys but he liked using various codes and Sherlock liked deciphering them. And, taking after his older brother, he had spent countless hours deciphering a plethora of codes and secret messages during his childhood. He liked the ways of yesteryear; there was something to be said for the ways of the past. Yet no one could surpass him when it came to technology. There is a reason he is the youngest Quartermaster ever. After facing Silva in his first week and the various threats since then, he has proven himself to also be the most efficient. Unfortunately, his presence is required, everyone’s is; which is how he finds himself wondering why he is listening to an inane ex-agent when he could deliver a better class in his sleep.

Bond was busy taking care of business in Australia at that moment, unaware of the mayhem his bored Quartermaster was about to cause.

* * *

M has final say on attendance in all refresher courses held for MI6, obviously. Q had begged to attend a second weapons seminar or shooting practice. But for some twisted reason unbeknownst to Q, he was made to attend the seminar on codes. Attend, not write and deliver. He was unimpressed, to say the least. But orders are orders and Q is no Bond.

He sat in the back left corner of the lecture theatre hoping he could surreptitiously slide back to his office or, failing that, work from the most encrypted laptop in the country. He was not at all pleased that the third highest ranking minion from Q-Branch was currently in Bond’s ear (R was on sick leave with bronchitis). It may have been a fairly simple mission by Bond’s standards, but James was _his_ agent and Claire was too flirty for Q’s liking. She was competent, obviously, or there was exactly zero chance of her being remotely close to handling Bond, of all agents. As the ex-agent began his seminar, Q took his lack of attention to the back row an opportune time to catch up with James. He had perfected a text-to-Q-voice program for exactly this situation as well as having created James’ ear piece, he knew exactly which frequency to connect to undetected.

_“If this is compulsory for me, of all people, how did you get out of it?”_

_“Really, Q? I got out of it by being sent to Australia. Would you rather have flown here with me?”_

Q hummed in annoyance. He would not have preferred to fly anywhere, thank you very much. And just with that thought another message popped up on the screen.

 _“Also, I still have to go the seminar when I get back. I think I’ll have a word to M. If it is as tedious as you_ _say, I know someone much more interesting and qualified to handle my coding update.”_

Q smirked. Bond was right, as usual. He was both more qualified and more interesting. And he had a few ideas to help Bond remember these codes. Hell, he could have him reading binary in no time if he had the inclination to do so. But he isn’t a masochist.

_“How is Claire doing?”_

_“Who? Clara? Fine. She knows where the exits are.”_

_“Claire, James. Her name is Claire. And she should know a lot more than just where the exits are. She’s the third highest ranking member of my team. She is quite chatty though, sorry.”_

_“Says he who can’t resist talking to me even when he is otherwise occupied? Also, are you sure? I’ve been calling here Clara. She isn’t so bad. Having said that, go and pay attention so I have at least some hope of having you provide me with this information upon my return. I hate going to those seminars.”_

_“Bond, I changed the orders in M’s files as soon as your mission orders came through. You are officially mine for a whole 6 hours upon your return and debrief.”_

Bond smirked to himself. Of course Q had already changed the orders. He isn’t one to leave things to chance, but he is one to always get his way.

* * *

 

**From:**  M  
 **To:**  Quartermaster  
 **Subject:**  Codes Seminar

Q,

Please explain why the orders for Bond’s codes seminar have you listed as lecturer and not Ex-Field Agent Thompson?

M.

 **From:**  Quartermaster  
 **To:**  M  
 **Subject:**  Re: Codes Seminar

M,

Thompson has other engagements on the day listed for Bond’s seminar. I found it only fitting that the most qualified person in this organisation should replace him.

Q.

 

Q knew he shouldn’t have hacked M’s orders but silently smirked to himself as he knew he would have had Moneypenny change the paper orders regardless.

 

* * *

 

Q checks the time and realises there are still 2 hours, 28 minutes and 7 seconds left of this particular kind of hell. They had covered the basic codes– Morse, mono and poly-alphabetic, various keys, ciphertext, braille and basic computer coding. Field and double-oh agents had Q-Branch for any technological requirements and the members of Q-Branch are far more adept in programming than any ex-agent.

Bored out of his very-expansive mind, Q updates the MI6 network, adds a few more security protocols and works on the blueprints for a variety of weapons before deciding to help Bond on his mission.

_“Bond, are you in need of any extra services that a certain non-Quartermaster does not have the clearance or authority for?”_

_“Q, I am rather short on spare time right now but I will be back In 23 hours and then yes, I will require certain services that only my Quartermaster can provide.”_

If this was a 17 months earlier, Q may have blushed. But, their relationship was no secret and this was tame compared to some things James would normally say, regardless of company.

_“No doubt you will. What I meant, however, is that you are about to exit a building and run down an unlit laneway.”_

Bond cursed Melbourne for being unlit at night but also noting the darkness has benefits.

_“Surely Clara can switch on some street lights?”_

_“Claire. And there are no streetlights in laneways. However, there are security lights on the front of the coffee shops. Hang on.”_

_“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.”_

_“Bond? What is happening?”_

_“Men with guns. You know, standard Wednesday stuff. Q, I have no way of destroying that building. Apparently, Q-Branch don’t go in for exploding pens anymore.”_

_“Really not the time James.”_

_“Can you get me out of here?”_

_“Of course. Just remember what’s important.”_

_“Always.”_

And with that, Q decided he might just use some of these codes after all.

He pulled up the footage of Bond in Melbourne, observing the laneway closely. There was one streetlight on the corner, but that was a several hundred metres away. He swiftly hacked into the mainframe and now had full control of the security lights that were attached to the walls at various points in the alley.

In Q-Branch, Tanner, Eve and M were watching Claire who was busy watching Bond talk to someone distinctly familiar. They sighed, agreeing that they should have known better than to assign Bond anyone other than Q. They knew from the outset that 007 would never going to let anyone else talk him through a mission. They didn’t bother wondering how Q was managing Bond and attending a seminar on codes. They knew far better than that, all they could do was roll their eyes in acceptance.

The mission was on the large screen, as usual. Only now Claire was standing in Q’s position and Q was not enjoying that one little bit. They should certainly not have been surprised when things started happening in Melbourne which no one in Q-Branch was controlling.

Q was keeping a very close eye on the cameras for the exit Bond would be coming out of in 1 minute, 18 seconds. There were only 2 exits available from the empty apartment above the café – the window or the drainpipe extending from the roof. He hadn’t heard or seen anyone leave the apartment, making the window the most likely escape route. He saw the curtains moving and the window opening. He had little time to give Bond instructions on where to go. Two words – end, left.

. -. -.. --..--   .-.. . ..-. –

There was a very quick flash of light followed by a slightly longer flash until the message was complete.

Bond smiled, knowing this was amusing Q more than anything else.

Bond was on the ground running. The grey concrete interspersed with street art, he thought he’d bring Q here to admire it when they have the chance. He had taken in the obstacles that occupied the laneway – the bins, the tables and chairs, the gutters. Knowing he didn’t have long he ducked behind one of the bins waiting for Q’s next message when the shots began. The two men were standing in the window with semi-automatics. Bullets were raining down on him. Q and Bond mentally agreed that they had clearly not used these weapons before as the bullets were going mostly into the opposite building (thankfully, Q thought).

_“Ready? Just remember.”_

..  .-.. --- ...- .  -.-- --- ..-

Knowing the light pattern that was coming, Bond ran quickly through the lane, using the darkness and vivid light to his advantage – as was the point. The blinding lights had clearly disorientated the gunmen and Bond made it to the corner and then continued to run left. It was only a minute later that he heard the explosion coming from the direction he had just come from.

_“Love you too, Q.”_

* * *

 

Tanner, Eve and Claire were staring at the main screen, trying to understand what the hell had just taken place. Bond was not given any explosive material for this mission, just his Walther PPK and a radio, as usual. It was not a difficult mission; there was no need for any type of explosives. They realised very quickly that Q and Bond were in cahoots. Again.

By the time an intern coughed nervously, M was already long gone.

 

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing 00Q. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! :)


End file.
